Crystal, Michigan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Crystal, Michigan
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 Crystal, Michigan
Location in Michigan
Crystal, Michigan
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| County | Montcalm |
| Township | Crystal |
| Area | |
| • Total | 4.04 sq mi (10.46 km2) |
| • Land | 2.76 sq mi (7.15 km2) |
| • Water | 1.28 sq mi (3.30 km2) |
| Elevation | 801 ft (244 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 888 |
| • Density | 321.62/sq mi (124.17/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Code |
48818
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| Area code(s) | 989 |
| FIPS code | 26-19060 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2804351 |
Crystal is a small community in Michigan, United States. It is located in Montcalm County. This place is known as a census-designated place (CDP). This means it's an area that the government counts as a community for population surveys. In 2020, about 888 people lived there. Crystal is right next to a beautiful body of water called Crystal Lake. The community also includes all the land around this lake.
Contents
History
How Crystal Began
The first people to settle in the Crystal area were lumbermen. These were workers who cut down trees for wood. Two brothers, John W. and Humphrey Smith, arrived in 1853. The community really started growing in 1857. That's when Enos P. Drake built a sawmill. A sawmill is a place where logs are cut into lumber. He owned the land with Samuel Burtch.
Later, a man named Asa Ward officially planned the settlement. This plan is called a "plat." Alfred A. Proctor became the first postmaster on March 2, 1857. A postmaster runs the local post office. The community got its name from the nearby Crystal Lake. It was first officially listed as a census-designated place before the 2020 census.
Geography
Where is Crystal Located?
Crystal is in the eastern part of Montcalm County, Michigan. It's in the northeast section of Crystal Township. It is about 10 miles (16 km) east-southeast of Stanton. Stanton is the county seat, which means it's where the county government is located. Crystal is also about 9 miles (14 km) northwest of Carson City. It is 20 miles (32 km) southwest of Alma.
Lakes and Waterways
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Crystal CDP covers about 4.04 square miles (10.46 km2). Of this area, 2.76 square miles (7.15 km2) is land. The remaining 1.28 square miles (3.30 km2), or 31.6%, is water. Crystal Lake is in the middle of the CDP. Mud Lake is in the northeast part of the area. The main settlement of Crystal is on the east side of Crystal Lake.
Water flows from Crystal Lake, which is 799 feet (243.5 m) above sea level. It then goes into Mud Lake, which is 797 feet (242.9 m) above sea level. From there, the water flows east and south towards Fish Creek. Fish Creek is a smaller river that joins the Maple River. The Maple River is part of the Grand River watershed. This means all these waters eventually flow into the Grand River, which then leads west to Lake Michigan.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 2020 | 888 | — | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
Population of Crystal
The word "demographics" means facts about the people who live in a place. This includes things like how many people there are. The population of Crystal was 888 people in the year 2020. This number comes from the U.S. Decennial Census. The census is a count of all the people living in the United States. It happens every ten years.
